Abandoned FW pavilion concepts?

[Merlin0402]

I saw some fairly recent, 90's, concept art for a Russia pavillion, complete with those famous church steeples. There were 3 pavillions that came VERY close to happening, they are Equatorial Africa-included a show, movie, and artificial jungle viewed from a giant tree, Spain-included a movie and ride showing off the country's heritage and art, and Israel-included an amphitheater where folk music would be played. They were to be built at: Africa-Outpost, Israel-Norway, and Spain-Morocco. If your wondering where I'm getting this info it is from an old book that was given to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom Club members before EPCOT Center opened in 1982. Pretty interesting...

 

[Lord Alfred]

Wow.. this is a great post. Epcot is my favorite park at WDW hands down. Several points to make.

1. I don't think that space is really a problem for Epcot. Sure, if you wanted to keep everything right on the hub there isn't as much, but the solution is simply to build farther out in between the existing pavillions with a nice walkway, much like the Millenium Village was or even Wonders of life is now. Just make sure there is some kind of large structure there that people can see and be drawn to.

2. I don't know what's so wrong with the Living Seas. I love that pavillion, and it is almost always very crowded during the first half of the day (Most of Future World dies later in the day). Sure, I've been to it 6 times or so and am very familiar with it but many are not, and I think animal life is very interesting. The kids seem to be having a blast every time I go.

3. I don't think anyone mentioned Spain. It was also planned for World Showcase but never made it, (along with Equatorial Africa and Isreal). According to Epcot preview book, it was supposed to have a ride.

4. I am all for re-vamping Epcot as long as the new attractions and refurbs are just as educational as the ones before. Sure, Spaceship Earth and Listen to the Land are not thrilling rides, but there is very little chance to turn them into one without sacrificing the wealth of educational matierial each now shares. Test Track was a brilliant refurb because A) It's still very educationally-oriented, and B) the World of Motion was the least educational pavillion at the park, taking a joking, flippant approach to the history of transportation.

That is all...

 

[JLW11Hi]

Why not an attraction that deals with the element of FIRE.You realize EPCOT touches on all the elements of Earth.

Hey, have you checked out NowInc's attraction idea in the Imagineering board? He hasn't done anything wiht it for a while, but it looks like it has to do with elements and such.

Looking at the original concepts for WS, it seems that the country pavillions were MUCH more space-efficient, and still made big enough attractions. The idea of expanding the countrys backward instead of outward like some of the countrys at WS do saves a lot of space and encourages people to walk into the countrys instead of just pass them by, like so many people do at the WS nowadays. It seems that most peoiple walk right by the streets that go into the UK and Italy, and stay on the outside by the lagoon.

 

[steve2wdw]

Just a note to jmarc63...yes, that is a picture of the model I mentioned in my post. thanks for getting it on the thread for everyone to see. In the previous 6 or 7 years before EPCOT opened, there was a lot of neat artwork in the annual reports dealing with both Future World and World Showcase. At one time they even mentioned they'd have room for 60 countries, located in three rings around three lagoons. the two other lagoons would have led off between China and the Outpost, and France and Great Britain. I suppose it would have looked like a huge hidden Mickey from the air.

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by Merlin0402
I saw some fairly recent, 90's, concept art for a Russia pavillion, complete with those famous church steeples. There were 3 pavillions that came VERY close to happening, they are Equatorial Africa-included a show, movie, and artificial jungle viewed from a giant tree, Spain-included a movie and ride showing off the country's heritage and art, and Israel-included an amphitheater where folk music would be played. They were to be built at: Africa-Outpost, Israel-Norway, and Spain-Morocco. If your wondering where I'm getting this info it is from an old book that was given to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom Club members before EPCOT Center opened in 1982. Pretty interesting...

Yes ther is, it's a small concept painting on page 39 of 1991 annual report to stockholders

 

[jmarc63]

Originally posted by steve2wdw
Just a note to jmarc63...yes, that is a picture of the model I mentioned in my post. thanks for getting it on the thread for everyone to see. In the previous 6 or 7 years before EPCOT opened, there was a lot of neat artwork in the annual reports dealing with both Future World and World Showcase. At one time they even mentioned they'd have room for 60 countries, located in three rings around three lagoons. the two other lagoons would have led off between China and the Outpost, and France and Great Britain. I suppose it would have looked like a huge hidden Mickey from the air.

At one time there was even a full model of epcot that looks very diffrent to what was built. I have seen it somewhere and if I can find the pic I will try to post it.

Spaceship earth as it is today was not part of the model i saw but it was there just diffrent I think the attracrion was more like world of motion was with the cars going out side

 

[jmarc63]

BTW

BTW

I found a site that has all EPCOT concept art and the 24 min film Walt produced just days before he went into the hospitial , small parts of it can be seen on the Disney channel from time to time on diffrent programs . It gives a lot of detail and visuals on the REAL E.P.C.O.T and I was looking at the plan for it and the sat photo from terraserver compareing them and I belive the city center with the 30 story hotel was to be is where the main toll boths for the Magic Kingdom are today and MK was farther to the west of where is is today and bay lake was enlargened where river country was and the Ospry Golf Cource is today to come up to the north side of of E.P.C.O.T and you would have parked at the transport hub under the hotel and take the Monorail to MK

 

[jabay]

I've been meaning to respond to this post, but I have been busy...anyway you are wordy...

 

[StageFrenzy]

I've been meaning to respond to this post, but I have been busy...anyway you are wordy...

Kinda Epic 8 years later

 

[MarkTwain]

TIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMME WAAAAARP

 

[JustInTime]

Kinda Epic 8 years later

YEAH! A comment 8 years in the making! Holy crap.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

Well, to stay on topic.... .... I've always been curious. What is that building between the Test Track and Mexico? The bathrooms in the building are open to the public, but the rest of the building has been closed since I've been going to WDW. Does anyone know what this is? An EPCOT map I found calls it the Odyssey Center?? :shrug:

 

[Captain Hank]

Well, to stay on topic.... .... I've always been curious. What is that building between the Test Track and Mexico? The bathrooms in the building are open to the public, but the rest of the building has been closed since I've been going to WDW. Does anyone know what this is? An EPCOT map I found calls it the Odyssey Center?? :shrug:

It used to be a quick-service restaurant. Most of it is now an events space. It also houses a Cast cafeteria, Baby Care and First Aid.

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

It used to be a quick-service restaurant. Most of it is now an events space. It also houses a Cast cafeteria, Baby Care and First Aid.

Thanks Capt Hank! I've wondered about that since 2000 and when I saw this thread revived it reminded me about it.

I always wished that they would make that building more functional to the public. It seems like wasted space. It's good to know that it is being utilized in some way, but seems to me that they could find a better backstage area for a cast cafeteria. They really should put something there that would be more useful for guests. The dead space is just so out of place, but oh well. It's not a top priority.

 

[Oriolesmagic]

There is room and plenty of it...the next rumored attraction (well after M:S of course) is the storm rider attraction from TDS. It would bring a whole new "discovery" to epcot...weather, something that was never touched in that park. It would also draw attention to that half of the park after there are 2 E-Rides next door to each other on the other side. Expect Disney to do something to the other side of the park soon when M:S does open...they don't want to have too much congestion on one part of Future World.

I didn't know it was an OLD thread until I got to this post...:lookaroun

 

[Pepper's Ghost]

I didn't know it was an OLD thread until I got to this post...:lookaroun

LOL! :lol: Don't worry, it took me several posts to figure that out too. I saw the first post was sometime in April I believe, but I didn't look at the year either. Then after several posts, I thought.... "wait a minute. this makes no sense."

 

[Captain Hank]

Thanks Capt Hank! I've wondered about that since 2000 and when I saw this thread revived it reminded me about it.

I always wished that they would make that building more functional to the public. It seems like wasted space. It's good to know that it is being utilized in some way, but seems to me that they could find a better backstage area for a cast cafeteria. They really should put something there that would be more useful for guests. The dead space is just so out of place, but oh well. It's not a top priority.

Well, it's been a Cast Cafeteria since Day 1, so that's not changed its functionality. The main reason it ceased normal operation for Guests was its rather awkward location. It just didn't see much foot traffic.

 

[jsteph]

We used this in 2005 with our now 6 year old daughter. It was really nice, the Baby Center.

 

[DocMcHulk]

Thanks for the info...does anyone know if there is actually any room left to build any other Future World pavilions??

I remember seeing a map of expansion pads a while back. i THINK it was Lee or Martin who posted it, but I'm not sure on that. But I have seen the map on here.

 

[WondersOfLife]

I would LOVE to sere the old Millenium building turned into another country pavillion. It of corse would be indoors like Mexico but something different. What else are they going to do with trhat building?

...abandon it... :ROFLOL: